Sam Sutton

Sam Sutton was born in New York City in 1949.[3] He graduated from Yeshiva of Flatbush in 1967 and Yeshiva University in 1971, and he later led his family business for more than three decades before selling it to an international conglomerate.[2]

Sutton served more than 30 years on the board of Sephardic Bikur Holim, a Brooklyn social-services organization, including five years as its president.[2][7] His Senate biography also lists him as a co-founder of the Sephardic Community Federation, a supporter of the launch of the New York Cancer Center, and a founding board member of the SAFE Foundation; a 2025 VINnews report likewise says he worked with the Sephardic Community Federation, the Safe Foundation and NYU Langone Medical Center.[2][7] He is also co-founder and board chair of Teach NYS, an organization that advocates for government funding for nonpublic schools such as yeshivas and Jewish day schools.[2][3] Governor George Pataki nominated Sutton to the CUNY Board of Trustees, where he served from 2006 to 2012.[2]

In 2025 Sutton was chosen as the Democratic nominee in the special election to replace Simcha Felder, who left the Senate seat after winning a New York City Council race; he won the May 20, 2025 election over Republican/Conservative candidate Nachman Caller and was sworn in on May 27, 2025.[1][3] The district covers Midwood, Flatbush, Borough Park, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach and Sheepshead Bay.[8][7] He chairs the Administrative Regulations Review Commission and sits on the Senate's Aging, Disabilities, Education, Health, New York City Education, and Social Services committees.[2] According to his Senate biography, he and his wife, Nancy, opened their home to 14 foster children.[2] Sutton won the November 3, 2026 general election with 64.5% of the vote to Nachman Caller's 35.1%, according to unofficial results reported by Ballotpedia and Wikipedia.[4][5]